An EPR-independent therapeutic strategy: Cancer cell-mediated dual-drug delivery depot for diagnostics and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis

Motivated by the "self-seeding" of the cancer cells, the EPR-independent nanoparticles (NPs)-based therapeutic strategy have been explored to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis in this paper, the mechanism of anti metastasis of the NPs was also evaluated. We firstly have established an aggressive whole-body spreading orthotopic LM3 tumour model closing to actual cases of human patients and the synthesized Trojan Horse-like amphiphilic nanobowls have been engineered with dual drugs with completely different pharmacokinetic profiles for cancer cell-mediated anti-metastasis therapy. These Trojan Horse-like nanobowls can serve as dual-drug delivery depots for site-specific pH/NIR dual-stimuli drug release with effectively suppressed primary tumor growth and metastases. Furthermore, the multi-mode UCL/MR/CT imaging is competent for providing comprehensive and valuable information for evaluating and adjusting the treatment. The employ of cancer cell mediated anti-metastasis therapeutic strategy delivering drugs into metastatic cells to defeat tumor metastases provides directions in the fields of anti-metastasis therapy.